Royal Alexandra Hospital

Royal Alexandra Hospital

A brick building with stone dressings and plain tiled roofs, completed in 1900. The hospital is planned on a pavilion system, with a central entrance and administration block linked by short corridor ranges to hospital and convalescent blocks positioned to either side. These ward blocks run at right angles to the administration block, enclosing courtyards to front and rear. A chapel projects to the rear of the administration block, originally with a warm sea-water bath in its basement.

The entrance and administration block comprises two storeys with an attic and basement. Although symmetrically planned, it is asymmetrically detailed. A central entrance is set within a shallow projecting storeyed porch with steps leading up to the original doorway, now concealed by a further single-storey porch addition. Above this is a banded mullioned window beneath a corbelled eaves band, with a hipped lean-to pavilion roof. Slightly advanced outer gables flank the block to either side: the right-hand gable contains a 4-light mullioned and transomed window, whilst the left-hand gable has windows grouped in a 1-2-1 arrangement. Brick diaper decoration adorns the gable apexes. The windows to either side of the central entrance are similarly asymmetrical: 2-light mullioned and transomed windows to the left, single light windows to the right. A plain stone cornice runs over the central section, lettered "Royal Alexandra Hospital 1900". The rear elevation is asymmetrical, with the chapel offset to the east of centre. To the right are mullioned and transomed windows of varying widths and heights; to the left stands a stair tower with a gabled roof. Ribbed axial stacks punctuate the elevations. Narrow corridor blocks, both raised in height (the western corridor also doubled in width), link the administration block to the ward blocks on either side.

The three-storey ward blocks are symmetrically planned but differently detailed, reflecting their different original functions and the different phases of construction.

The west wing is symmetrically planned about its north-south axis, with a central four-storey pavilion block at its core. This taller block forms a three-window range with three gables advanced from its main hipped roof. The outer gables contain transomed windows of 2 and 2 lights, whilst the central block has a three-storey bay window with 4-light mullioned and transomed windows and a balustraded parapet. Raised diaper brickwork appears in the gable apex. Axial stacks rise between the gables, and a louvred and tiled spirelet crowns the main roof beyond. A central gable marks the rear (east) elevation, and a circular corner turret is positioned at the corner. Arcaded ward ranges flank the central block to either side. The first floor features a six-bay arcaded balcony or loggia (now glazed in), with a former open balcony above also now enclosed. The ground or basement storey contains segmentally arched windows. The ward wings terminate at either end in paired pavilion towers, formerly housing toilet blocks and the like, with narrow paired windows in each face. Four-bay balconies, like those on the side elevations, run between the towers to north and south. The north-east elevation retains sash windows with renewed glazing.

The east wing follows a similar layout to the west wing, with a four-storey central pavilion block and ward ranges running north and south of it, but it is distinguished by the absence of integral balconies in its long elevations. Like the west wing, the north elevation features four-bay arcaded balconies clasped between towers. The east elevation (partly obscured by the addition of a closed-in fire escape) displays a five-window range to either side of the central block. Originally fitted with sashes, the glazing has been renewed in the original openings. The central block has a single advanced gable with a shallow balcony clasped between canted oriel bay windows in the upper storey, and mullioned and transomed windows variously grouped to the basement, ground, and attic storeys. Drawings prepared by Paul Waterhouse in 1902 indicate that this range was intended to have balconies projecting from its west elevation, though it is uncertain whether these were ever constructed.

The chapel is built of brick with stone dressings including quoins and bands, and has a plain tiled roof. The nave features five two-light windows. The chancel displays a high gable, clasped by canted apsidal bays to either side with paired foiled lancet lights. A high-set three-light decorated window is set in the gabled east wall.

Interior

The original layouts survive substantially intact throughout the building. The administration block features a central entrance hall with spinal corridors on each floor. The main staircase to the east at the rear is balanced by a secondary stair to the west; both possess ornate cast-iron balustrades. In the wings, circulation space and offices are housed in the central pavilion blocks, with the wards occupying the width of the building to either side.

The chapel interior is richly decorated and detailed, with timber arcades of three and a half bays to either side. These arcades feature elaborately chamfered posts with decorated panelled bands, supporting braced arcade plates. These in turn carry an openwork frieze of foiled panels, some of which are filled with sepia painted panels forming a series, one dated 1922 in memory of Philip Yorke of Erddig. Similar detail appears in the timber of the open chancel screen. The two western bays of the nave have deep moulded panels to a boarded ceiling, whilst the remainder of the chapel, including the chancel, features a deep coved section set into the centre line of the panelled ceiling. The aisles are lit indirectly by a single high-set dormer window to either side, and traceried lights aligned with these in the sides of the coved roof cast borrowed light into the nave. The reredos, probably by Douglas, displays a painted and gilded crucifixion with accompanying angels and saints, canopied and contained within a frame of painted foiled wood panels. The nave windows are all by Kempe with commemoration dates of 1876, 1886, 1892, and 1900. The glass in the chancel windows is unsigned and undated, executed in a more medieval idiom.